Surgical therapy for pulmonary aspergillomas and mucormycosis: A 15-year experience from a single clinical center

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of surgical treatment for pulmonary aspergillomas and mucormycosis.

A retrospective review was conducted of 97 patients underwent surgical resection for pulmonary aspergillomas and mucormycosis at a tertiary center in China from 2010 to 2024.

This study enrolled 23 patients with pulmonary mucormycosis and 74 patients with pulmonary aspergillomas. The average age of patients diagnosed with aspergillomas was significantly lower than that of patients diagnosed with mucormycosis (35.4 ± 15.8 vs 51.5 ± 12.7, P < .001). The median (interquartile range) size of mucormycosis (7 [3.5-10.0] cm) was larger than that (3.3 [2-4.5] cm) of aspergillomas (P < .001). Hemoptysis occurred in 17 (73.9%) patients with mucormycosis and in 32 (43.2%) with aspergillomas (P = .01). Lobectomy was performed in 57 (77.0%) patients with aspergillomas and 12 (52.2%) patients with mucormycosis (P = .022). Eight patients (34.8%) with mucormycosis underwent pneumonectomy, whereas there were no cases of pneumonectomy among patients with aspergillomas. The overall 10-year survival rates were 88.3% for aspergillomas and 54.0% for mucormycosis (P = .005).

Compared with pulmonary aspergillomas, pulmonary mucormycosis demonstrates greater aggressiveness, affects patients at a younger age, and necessitates more extensive lung resection. In addition, the long-term survival after surgery for pulmonary mucormycosis is poorer compared with that for aspergillomas.